Statement by Governor Rick Scott regarding Washington’s short-term solution on the nation’s debt ceiling and the government shutdown:

“Washington’s failure to reach a long-term agreement on the debt ceiling confirms our nation’s leaders have their heads in the sand about our economic future. America’s unchecked debt, along with the increase in inflation that follows, will only put us deeper in the hole we have been trying to climb out of since the national economic downturn.

“In Florida, we have paid down $3.5 billion in state debt over the last three years – ending the decades-long practice of racking up state debt – and paid back another $3.5 billion reemployment assistance federal loan. We need leadership in Washington. We need negotiation and compromise to reign in spending, pay down debt, and keep the dollar strong for our economy to grow. Americans deserve nothing less.”